Spicy Pork Loin on the Mini WSM

Pork loin always makes me nervous. Because it's so lean, it dries out in a heartbeat. I found this loin on sale. It was a nice even thickness with a thin layer of fat.I could also see a bit of a vein of fat on the bottom as well.

I put together a spicy rub of cayenne, chili powder, black pepper, white pepper, coriander, paprika, oregano and just a bit of salt and brown sugar.

On to the mini at 275 using Stubbs charcoal and peach wood for the smoke. (also had a small leftover chunk of pecan which I left in)

Since I had the space, I threw on some rib tips from a rack of spares that I had trimmed earlier. Those I tossed in Jeff's rub.

I cooked the loin to 140 internal and then rested it wrapped in foil for 20 minutes. It was more done than I expected, (might just go to 135 next time) but very moist inside. The spicy rub was really nice with it as well. Took about an hour and a half on the smoker and was just the right amount of smoke.

I'd definitely make this again, and it's so lean that guilt free as well.

Looks mighty tasty. Great job. Would venture to say you got a hold of what is called the rib end of the loin..which has more fat than the other end which is called the loin end for some strange reason. The rib ends are more bbq friendly.

Looks mighty tasty. Great job. Would venture to say you got a hold of what is called the rib end of the loin..which has more fat than the other end which is called the loin end for some strange reason. The rib ends are more bbq friendly.

Thanks bigwheel! That's great info about it being from the rib end, I'll definitely look for that again.

this refers to the range of temperatures at which bacteria can grow - usually between 40° and 140° F (4° and 60° C). For food safety, keep food below or above the "danger zone." Remember the 2-Hour Rule: Discard any perishables (foods that can spoil or become contaminated by bacteria if unrefrigerated) left out at room temperature for longer than two hours. When temperatures are above 90° F (32° C), discard food after one hour.

this refers to the range of temperatures at which bacteria can grow - usually between 40° and 140° F (4° and 60° C). For food safety, keep food below or above the "danger zone." Remember the 2-Hour Rule: Discard any perishables (foods that can spoil or become contaminated by bacteria if unrefrigerated) left out at room temperature for longer than two hours. When temperatures are above 90° F (32° C), discard food after one hour.

just my 2 cent .

But this cooked to 140 in less than 2 hours...and likely went up 5 degrees while resting. Why is it too low?

this refers to the range of temperatures at which bacteria can grow - usually between 40° and 140° F (4° and 60° C). For food safety, keep food below or above the "danger zone." Remember the 2-Hour Rule: Discard any perishables (foods that can spoil or become contaminated by bacteria if unrefrigerated) left out at room temperature for longer than two hours. When temperatures are above 90° F (32° C), discard food after one hour.

just my 2 cent .

The OP was referring to cook times, not holding times and temps. The same website you copied the above info from also has a section on safe temperatures for pork. 145˚ with a 3 minute rest is now considered safe by the FDA and FSIS. Cooking it to 140˚ and resting for 20 minutes in all likelihood got the meat over 145˚ for 3 minutes, so it's fine.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Suie

But this cooked to 140 in less than 2 hours...and likely went up 5 degrees while resting. Why is it too low?

But this cooked to 140 in less than 2 hours...and likely went up 5 degrees while resting. Why is it too low?

sorry . i didn't want to upset you . just a safety thing .
we used to do IT 160 (i still do ) but now the USDA says it is ok to do it at IT145 + resting time (it will bring it to IT 150 )
take a 3% (5 degrees) thermometer deviation .that is the reason i said . it is to low in my opinion .

Thanks for the explanation. There was no pink at all in the meat so I'm pretty sure I got to 145

Quote:

Originally Posted by africanmeat

sorry . i didn't want to upset you . just a safety thing .
we used to do IT 160 (i still do ) but now the USDA says it is ok to do it at IT145 + resting time (it will bring it to IT 150 )
take a 3% (5 degrees) thermometer deviation .that is the reason i said . it is to low in my opinion .

I am sorry if i offend you was not my intention .

Ahron

Ahron, sorry if I seemed upset, I wasn't! I just wanted to make sure I understood what you were saying. I do have a tendency to cook to bare minimum temps because I don't like dry pork. Anyway so far so good, I don't feel sick. :)